Many people in the Metarie area made their homes a bit safer Saturday by cleaning out their medicine cabinets and ridding themselves of unwanted, unused or expired prescription drugs.

Members of the Drug Enforcement Administration collected unwanted medication at 4,100 locations across the country.

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Everyone who dropped of medications wasn't asked any questions. They just dropped it off and drove away.

"We don't ask any questions. We don't write down any tags," said Debbie Webber, special agent with the DEA.

She said every 19 minutes, someone dies of a prescription pill overdose. When prescription pills are being abused by someone that doesn't have a prescription to use them, it's just as dangerous as using an illicit drug," Webber said.

"If you throw it into a garbage can, it goes into a landfill and who knows what it does there. If you dump it down that toilet it goes in to our water supply eventually, who know what it does there," said Henrry Suthon, who lives in the metro area.

According to the DEA, drugs that are dropped off are collected, weighted and incinerated.

In October 2013, 324 tons of medication were collected around the country. Of that, 2,400 pounds came from Louisiana.

"I think it's a good idea for everybody to kind of check your medicine cabinets and get out all the expired prescription medicine that you have and let people who know how to take care of it take care of it," said Kim Caparotta, who got rid of her unwanted medication on her way to work.

THE DEA said those who missed Saturday's event can take expired drugs to most any law enforcement agency. No liquids, needles or syringes are accepted.

Several surrounding parishes participated in the national prescription drug take-back day.

The event happens twice a year. The next one is scheduled for October.